Police: Woman left 5 dogs in car for hours while at Bucktown bar

A woman left five dogs in her car for more than five hours while she was at a bar in the Bucktown neighborhood, according to police.

The dogs, described by police as "small," didn't have heat, food or water.

Someone saw the woman park her car in the 2400 block of North Artesian Avenue and walk away about 4:30 p.m. That person called police about 10:30 p.m., and police had the fire department help force the car door open.

The dogs were taken to the Chicago Animal Care and Control and police arrested the woman when they found her on Fullerton Avenue.

Maureen Gaffney, 51, was charged under the "owner's duties" section of the state Humane Care for Animals Act. She is due in court on May 1 and lives in the 2600 block of West North Avenue, police said.

Gaffney told police she takes her dogs everywere and that it wasn't too cold, according to a police report. An officer at the scene disagreed.

Gaffney also told police that she loves dogs, according to the report, and left them in the car so she could watch a relative perform at Quencher's at Fullerton and Western avenues.